London villain chaser hits town

From the streets of London to the streets of Masterton ? that is the transition Detective Barry Bysouth is currently in the process of making.
Mr Bysouth is one of 100 British police, and one of only 25 detectives, to begin work in New Zealand last week, following recruitment and an 11-week conversion course at the police college in Porirua.
Mr Bysouth started work in Masterton last Monday, and brings to the local force a wealth of experience gained while working in Scotland Yard's famous Flying Squad or, as it is known on London's mean streets, the Sweeney. (It's classic Cockney rhyming slang ? Sweeney Todd/Flying Squad.)
He spent six years in the squad, which is part of the serious crime directorate and deals, proactively and reactively, with armed robbery all round London.
Working in the Flying Squad had been a policing goal for Mr Bysouth, and the work was "great" ? officers were armed and did their own surveillance ? and Mr Bysouth had the opportunity to work on several high profile cases, most notably the attempted robbery of the Millennium Star Diamond.
But the work had its pitfalls.
"(Moving here) is for the better really. I've got two kids born in the last six years, and I didn't really see them because of the hours."
About two years ago he sent an email to the New Zealand Police to enquire if they were recruiting, and they replied they were going to, but only for 100 officers.
So he put his name forward, went through the necessary tests and interviews, and here he is.
"I was recruited directly for the CIB (Criminal Intelligence Bureau)."
Choosing New Zealand as a place to work was not a random decision though, as Mr Bysouth spent a year in Masterton in 1998 playing rugby for Marist.
"When I was over here before I thought it was just a great place to bring up kids. Not to run down England too much, but just a better place, much safer."
He and his wife, who was his girlfriend then and came out last time, enjoyed their time here enough to feel they could fully relocate the whole family now.
And he said it's not just a short stay they're on.
"We're looking to buy in the Masterton area, and have no plans to move on."
He said while Masterton doesn't have very many, if any, armed bank robberies, he is not expecting an easy run.
"Police work is the same all over the world. The techniques are the same; it's just different people you're dealing with.
"It's too early to say whether the pace will be different. They seem very busy in the CIB office. Everybody is working very hard."
On the rugby front, Mr Bysouth has already turned out for his old club, playing halfback for the Marist 3s, and he hopes to get more fully involved with the game now he's here.
But he's not about to change his allegiances when it comes to the big games though.
"I'll still support England."